Window-shade.



E. w. WEBB.

wmnow SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17,1908.

"918,404, Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

unlnnmlr Y E. W. WEBB.

WINDOW SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 190B.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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UNITED STATEB PATENT @FFIGE.

EDWIN W. WEBB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL S. DAVID, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-SHADE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN \V. Venn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vindow Shades, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to window shades, and more particularly to window shades for cars.

In order that the window shades of cars may be adjusted to any desired position, it is customary to secure their upper ends to spring rollers and to provide guides at their lower edges which extend within grooves in the side frames of a window casing, locking devices being provided upon the ends of the guides to detachably engage the walls of the grooves.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a guide for the lower edges of window shades which will automatically retain the shade at any desired elevation, which may be readily operated to release the shade to, permit vertical adjustment thereof, and which will be simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, and efficient in operation.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in two convenient and practical forms, and in which Figure 1 is an elevational view; Fig. 2, a cross section of the guide at one side of the window. casing; Fig. 3, a sectional view showing the guide in locked engagement with the window casing; Fig. i, a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the guide in unlocked position; Fig. 5, a sectional view on line 5, Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of my invention; Fig. 7, a section on line 7, Fig. 6, showing the guide in position to retain the shade at a desired elevation; Fig. 8, a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the guide unlocked to permit movement of the shade; and Fig. 9, a sectional view on line 9, Fig. 6.

Similar reference characters are used to designate, similar parts in the several figures ,vention, reference characters A, A indi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 17, 1908.

Patented April 18, 1909.

Serial No. 427,692.

cate the sections of a tube adapted to be secured to the lower edge of a window shade. The inner ends of the tube sections A, A are secured within circular flanges a, a pro jecting from the opposite sides of a plate A adapted to be secured adjacent: the lower edge of a window shade. Rot-atably supported within the tube sections A, A is a rod B which extends continuously across the shade and projects at its ends within vertical grooves formed in the side frames of the window casing, such, for instance, as shown in Fig. 2, in which cl is the groove and D the portion of the window frame in which the groove is formed. Secured to the ends of the rod B and lying within the grooves in the window casing are transverse locking devices B and B which may conveniently consist of pieces of resilient metal secured within transvers-ze slots in the ends of the rod. The ends of each of the locking devices are preferably oppositely curved so as to present bearing surfaces to engage the vertical side walls of the window frame grooves. Rigidly secured to the rod B, intermediate of its ends, is a finger piece Z) which projects outwardly from the plate A. A coiled spring I) surrounds the portion of the rod B within the plate A and is provided with a loop 0 underlying the finger piece 6. The ends 6 of the spring engage the underlying shoulder of the plate A so that the tension of the spring lifts upwardly upon the finger piece i) and thereby rotates the shaft B within the supporting tube sections. The spring is preferably inclosed between the curved portion of the plate A and an outwardly curved cover plate a. The plate A. is provided with a downwardly and outwardly projecting handle a which serves as a support toward which the finger piece I) may be moved against the tension of the spring E. Secured to the outer ends of the tube sections A, A? are resilient guides lying within the grooves in the sides of the window casing. Each of these resilient guides may be conveniently formed in two sections,as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and lthe sections of the guide at the left being designated C and 0, such sections extending around and secured to opposite sides of the adjacent end of the tube section A, and engaging at their outer ends against the opposite walls of the guide groove. The resilient guide at the right side of the shade is composed of two sections C and c constructetd similar to the sections C and c of the opposite guide.

The manner of operating my improved window shade guide is as follows: The tension of the spring E rotates the shaft B so that the opposite ends of each locking device B and B are pressed into frictional engage mentwith the opposite surfaces of its corresponding groove in the window casing. T he shade is, therefore, retained immovable at any desired elevation by means of the pressure of the locking devices against the surfaces of the inclosing grooves by reason of the rotation imparted to the shaft B by the spring E. hen it is desired to adjust the shade, the finger piece Z) is pressed downwardly against the tension of the spring thereby oscillating the shaft l3 and locating the locking devices 13 and B in a central position within the grooves,as indicated in Fig. 4 so that the ends of the rod may move freely vertically within the grooves. The shade in its upward or downward movement is guided by means of the resilient guides secured to the opoosite ends of the tube sec tions A, 3

In Figs. (3 to 9, inclusive, 1 have illustrated a modified form. of my invention, in which eccentrics are rigidly secured to the ends of the rotatable rod, in lieu of the plate metal locking devices employed in the form of my invention above described. Reference characters T designate eccentrics rigidly secured to the ends of the rod 13 which lie within the grooves in the window casing. The position of the eccentrics upon the rod such that when the tension of the spring oscillates the rod they will he forced into engagement ith corresponding side walls of the window casing grooves. Spring guides G and G are secured to the outer ends of the tube sections and are adapted to be forced into contact with the opposite corresponding walls of the window casinggrooves when the eccentrics are oscillated by the spring. The resilient guides G, G are preferably formed in two sections, one of which, G, extends above and below the rod and is provided with curved ends, so as to present bearing surfaces to engage the adjacent wall of the groove. A second section, 9", is secured around the opposite surface of the end of the tube section. and engages the adjacent portion of the first section G. G and indicate sections of the resilient guide at the opposite side of the window, which correspond in construction and function to the sections G and g of the resilient guide above described. v

The operation of the modified form of my invention is similar in all respects to the operation of the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, except that the rod is locked in any desired position by means of the eccentrics engaging corresponding walls of the inclosing groo es and forcing the corresponding resilient guides into contact with the opposite walls of the grooves. By depressing the finger piece 6 the spring is comp essed and the rod B oscillated so that the eccentrics will be moved into the position shown in Fig. 8, that is, out of contact with the adjacent walls of the grooves so that the pressure with which the resilient guides engage the opposite walls of the grooves is relieved, thereby permitting the shade to be adjusted vertically to any desired position.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved guide for window shades, which will securely retain the shade at any desired elevation and which may be readily operated so as to release the shade and permit its adjustment to a new position.

I clain l. in a guide for window shades, the combination with a supporting tube adapted to be secured adjacent the lower edge of a shade, of a rotary rod supported in said tube, flexibly resilient locking devices secured transversely across the ends of said rod and adapted to extend within grooves at the sides of the window, and means for rotating the opposite ends of said rod to force said looking devices into and out of en agement with the walls of the guioe grooves.

in a guide for window shades, the combination with a supporting tube adapted to be secured adjacent the lower edge of a' shade. of a rotary rod supported in said tube, flexibly resilient locking devices secured transversely across the ends of said rod ted to extend within grooves at the sides of the window, a spring interposed between said rod and tube'for rotating said rod to force said locking devices into engagement with the walls of the guide grooves, and means for rotating said rod against the t sion of said spring to disengage the locking devices from the walls of the grooves.

In a guide for window shades, the combination with an oscillatory rod, of a supporting tuoe for said rod adapted to be secured adjacent the lower edge of the shade, resilient guide fingers secured to the ends of said tul e and acapted to lie within guide grooves at the sides of the window, locking means secured to the ends of said rod and extend ing within the guide grooves, and means for oscillating said rod relatively to its support ing tube to engage and disengage said locking means with the walls of the guide grooves and thereby also forcing said guide fingers grooves.

4. In a guide for window shades, the combination with an oscillatory rod, of a supporting tube for said rod adapted to be se-- against the walls of the guide bination with a rod, of a support for said rod means from the walls of the guide grooves.

extend within guide grooves, and means for cured adjacent the lower edge of the shade, I resilientguide fingers secured to the ends of said tube and adapted to lie within guide grooves at the sides of the window shade, locking means secured to the ends of said rod and extending within the guide grooves, a spring interposed between said rod and tube for oscillating said rod to force said locking means into engagement with the walls of the guide grooves, and to force said guide fingers against the walls of the guide grooves and means for rotatingsaid rod against the tension of said spring to disengage the locking 5. In a guide for window shades, the CO111 bination with a rod, of a supporting tube for said rod, locking members secured to the ends of said rod and tube and adapted to relatively rotating said rod and tube in opposite directions thereby engaging said locking members with and disengaging them from the walls of the guide grooves.

6. In a guide for window shades, the combination with a rot-ar rod, of strips of resilient metal secured transversely across the ends of said rod and adapted to lie within grooves at the sides of the window, and means for rotating said strips to force their opposite ends into engagement with or out of engagement with the opposing walls of the guide grooves.

7. In a guide for window shades, the comcarried by the window shade, substantially S-shaped resilient strips secured to the ends of said rod and adapted to lie within guide grooves at the sides of the window, a spring interposed between said rod and its support for rotating said rod to force the opposite ends of said strips into engagement with the opposing walls of the guide grooves, and means for rotating said rod against the tension of said spring to disengage the ends of said strips from the walls of the guide grooves.

8. In a guide for window shades, the combination with a rotary rod, of a supporting tube for said rod adapted to be secured adjacent to the lower edge of the shade, resilient guide fingers secured to the ends of said tube and adapted to extend within guide grooves at the sides of the window,

resilient locking means secured to the ends of said rod and adapted to extend within the guide grooves, and means for rotating said rod relatively to its supporting tube to engage said resilient locking means with or disengage the same from the walls of the .ude grooves.

in a guide for window shades, the combination with a rotary rod, of a supporting tube for said rod adapted to be secured adjacent to the lower edge of the shade, resilient guide fingers secured to the ends of said tube and adapted to extend within guide grooves at the sides of the window, strips of resilient metal secured transversely across the ends of said rod and lying withiir the guide grooves, and means for rotating said rod relatively to its supporting tube to engage said resilient strips with or disengage the same from the walls of the guide grooves.

10. In a guide for window shades, the combination with a rotary rod, of a supporting tube for said rod adapted to be secured adjacent to the lower edge of the shade, resilient guide fingers secured to the ends of said tube and adapted to extend within guide grooves at the sides of the window, strips of resilient metal secured transversely across the ends of said rod and lying within the guide grooves, a spring interposed between said rod and tube for rotating said rod relatively to said tube to engage said resilient strips with the walls of the guide grooves, and means for rotating said rod against the tension of said spring to disengage the strips from the walls of the guide grooves.

11. In a guide for window shades, the combination with a rod, of a supporting tube for said rod, locking members secured transversely across the ends of said rod and tube and adapted to extend within guide grooves, the locking members on the rod and tube lying in intersecting planes, and means for relatively rotating said rod and tube in opposite directions thereby moving the adjacent ends of said locking members away from or toward each other to engage the same with or disengage the same from the walls of the guide grooves.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed lily name.

EDIVIN W'F-UB. Vlitnesses Gno. L. WVILKIN son, .ANNIE C. COURTENAY. 

